NACO Tour - Part 1

The National Arts Centre Orchestra (NACO) was founded in Ottawa, Ontario, in 1969, to coincide with the opening of the National Arts Centre (NAC).  Since then, NACO has been the resident orchestra of Canada's capital and has toured all over the world.  Since 1999, Pinchas Zukerman has served as the orchestra's Musical Director. 

            

As stated on its website, NACO "has long played a national role with performances, teaching, and partnerships across Canada".  For the 2012-2013 Season, the orchestra embarked on a Performance & Education Tour of Canada's northern territories (Yukon, Northwest, & Nunavut), from October 26 to November 4. Specifically, the orchestra visited the three territorial capitals: Iqaluit, Nunavut; Yellowknife, Northwest Territories; and Whitehorse, Yukon.  In total, around 50 educational workshops were organized and around 20 performances took place.  The workshops focused on "cultural exchanges and learning through dialogue."

             

Due to travelling & shipping expenses, NACO was sending a 'skeleton crew' of musicians: 4 first violins, 4 second violins, 3 violas, 2 cellos, 1 double bass, 1 clarinet, 1 bassoon, 1 trumpet, 1 horn, 1 trombone, and 1 percussionist.    

            

The orchestra was led by guest conductor, Arild Remmereit, who  just began as Music Director of the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra.  Remmereit was born in Norway and studied conducting in Vienna.  He also studied with famed 20th century American composer & conductor Leonard Bernstein between 1987 & 1990.

            

Also travelling with NACO were: James Ehnes, Alexina Louie, Akinisie Sivuarapik, and Evie Mark.  James Ehnes is a Canadian concert violinist who began his violin studies at the young age of four.  Since then, he has performed in over 30 countries and has been honoured with numerous awards, including 6 Junos, a Grammy, and a Gramophone Award.  In 2010, he was made a member of the Order of Canada.  For this trip, he would be performing on his 300 year-old Stradivarius.

           

Alexina Louie is a well known Canadian composer of Chinese descent who has written many pieces for orchestra, piano, and films since 1972.  For the tour, she composed Take the Dog Sled, a seven-part orchestral & throat singing piece that explores life in the North from an Inuit perspective.  As well, NACO had hired her to run several workshops on writing music for orchestras & films.

               

Akinisie Sivuarapik, and Evie Mark are both Inuit throat singers who have showcased their talents all over the world.  They would perform throat songs of their own and provide the vocals for Take the Dog Sled.  Akinisie is from Puvirnituq, and Evie is from Ivujivik.  These villages are located in a semi-autonomous area of northern Quebec called Nunavik, meaning 'place to live'.

            

It wouldn't be a successful tour without the presence of the media and NACO did everything it its power to make sure that the entire excursion would be accurately documented and presented.  The National Arts Centre's own media team as well as a reporter with the Ottawa Citizen newspaper also came along for the trip. 

            

Before the arrival of NACO on October 26, I was in frequent contact with NACO planners who were putting together the tour schedule.  My music room would be used for several workshops and the orchestra needed to borrow music stands and a conductor's podium for the main concert on the 27th.  "No problem," I replied.

            

The first workshop I attended was a one-hour teleconference (audio & video) event between the Iqaluit Fiddle Club and Ottawa's OrKidstra Program on Saturday, October 27.  The teleconference was happening in my music room so I decided to attend as an observer.  Both clubs focus on stringed instruments and teaching young children (ages 9 - 14).  The Iqaluit Fiddle Club is led by Darlene Nuqingaq.  Members of OrKidstra, led by Roberta Caroline, would communicate with the Iqaluit Fiddle Club from the National Arts Centre in Ottawa. 

            

The program of the teleconference included: learning names; performing Beethoven's 'Ode to Joy' as a group; learning how to throat sing; and sharing stories of life in the North & how important music plays in the lives of young minds.  Despite a one & a half second delay in the transmission, the teleconference was a success.  Each member of the Iqaluit Fiddle Club received a free OrKidstra t-shirt.            

            

The main event of the Iqaluit leg of the tour was the evening concert at Nakasuk Middle School, that also took place on the 27th.  Tickets were free but attendants were encouraged to donate to the Qaggiavuut Society.  The group comprises of Nunavut artists (mostly based in Iqaluit) who are advocating and pushing for the building of a performing arts centre in Iqaluit.  I guess having the sold out concert in a middle school gym made the case even stronger.

            

I took a seat at the back of the gym and gazed at the small stage that was filled to the brim with chairs and the musical stands from my classroom.  The perimeter was occupied by TV cameras, and refreshment & gift stands.  As the seating area continued fill with people, I noticed several of my students in attendance with their families.  The concert began with a lighting ceremony and a vocal piece by Sylvia Cloutier & Madeleine Allakariallak.  This was followed by NACO performing three movements from Edvard Grieg's Holberg Suite, Op. 40.

            

Before Intermission, Simeonie Keenainak, a retired RCMP officer turned accordionist, took to the stage and played two pieces with the orchestra: Avaala (Song for the Seal) & Aqsarniit (Northern Lights)  I'm not sure what it is about accordion music, but it has a serious 'grip' on the Inuit.  The second Keenainak (a musical icon in the North) started playing, everyone was clapping along and tapping their feet.  Looking around the gym, I even spotted several people dancing.  Keenainak had to play an encore.

            

After Intermission, Alexina Louie was introduced to the audience and invited to explain about her experiences writing Take the Dog Sled.  Louie explained that the most difficult part of the writing process was incorporating Inuit throat singing because there is no established form of notation.  Despite this, the piece was well received by the audience and she received an extended applause.

            

The evening ended with a classic: Vivaldi's The Four Seasons, Op. 8.  With James Ehnes playing the solo violin parts, NACO performed the Spring & Winter concertos.  After the last note was played, James & the orchestra received a standing ovation from the crowd.          

            

While walking home in the cold winter evening, I hoped the Qaggiavuut Society would succeed in persuading the right people to build a performing arts centre in Nunavut's capital.

To Be Continued . . .

Send In The Snow

The snow has finally arrived.  And it's staying.  Until summer next year.

            

The snowfall began sometime on the 15th and continued steadily for several days.  The town is not buried in white; more like being covered with a light blanket.  The disappearance of the brown ground has prompted me to break out my large winter boots.  It may look like too much for the beginning of winter (most people are still walking around with running shoes and low hiking boots), but I don't want to risk dirtying my dress pants when I walk to work.  My morning walk to the high school still includes trekking up a hill carrying my laptop briefcase.  The added weight of my thick winter jacket and boots makes the trip a rigorous exercise.

Just before the arrival of snow, I participated in a Field Training eXercise (FTX) with 795 Iqaluit Air Squadron on October 12 & 13.  My job was to provide supervision and to take pictures.  FTX Endurance was organized to teach cadets how to survive on the land by: building shelters & fires; cooking food; staying warm; and how to signal for rescue.  Endurance began on the evening of the 12th (Friday), with all cadets meeting at the cadet hall.  With all of their kit (sleeping bags, extra clothing, wash kit, etc) placed around the parade square, the cadets were formed up and separated into two groups.  Each group was given a lesson on tying knots & lashings.  The next class was on constructing improvised shelters.  Cadets were split into five groups and given fifteen minutes to construct shelters using rope, wooden planks, and ground sheets.  Once time was up, each shelter was examined and critiqued by the instructors.  It was the late evening when the class ended; it was time for bed.

            

For the FTX, the cadets would be spending the night at the cadet hall.  Males & females slept in separate rooms.  Adult staff slept in the lounge area.  Each cadet was given a military cot to sleep on.  The only challenge to setting them up is putting on the bars at the ends.  The green fabric stretches and becomes really tight.  It's best if two people put together a cot.  Even though I don't have a problem with sleeping on a cot, I chose to decline the offer an instead slept on a couch.    
         

Reveille was at 0800hrs on the morning of the 13th, and breakfast was served at 0815.  While waiting for breakfast to be served, the junior cadets set up tables and chairs on the parade square.  Adult staff and senior cadets had woken up earlier to prepare breakfast IMPs.  When it comes to food in the field, the military serves Individual Meal Packages, 'a bag of goodies' designed to give a soldier all the nutrition (s)he needs.  IMPs are organized into three sections (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner) and there is a variety of meals to choose from each section.  With cadets, they are given a meal and then allowed to trade.  They were also instructed to place any unopened leftovers into designated boxes.  For safety reasons, all matches were removed from the bags.  Down south, the instant coffee bags are also confiscated by adult staff.    

            

For breakfast, I had the sausage & hash browns and which were quite good.  My favourite part of the meal is eating the loaf of bread that has been shrunken to the size of my hand.  This is done by 'removing' all the air pockets.  How exactly, I'm not sure, but the important thing is that it tastes great with peanut butter. 

            

After breakfast, the parade square was cleaned up and everyone was instructed to get ready for the walk into the field.  For the day, the cadets would be taking part in activities at Sylvia Grinnell Park, located just to the north of airport.  I was excited because this would be my first time visiting the park.  Once all the necessary supplies were loaded onto the truck and the cadet hall was locked down, the cadets began the long walk to the park.  There was a little snow on the ground but not too much to be a bother.  I did my best to stay with the main group because I frequently stopped to take pictures of the beautiful landscape.  Very few people get to see and experience such undamaged wilderness.

            

We arrived at one of the designated camp sites at the park by the mid morning.  Looking 360 degrees, I noticed that we were the only group in the park.  Even though it was an overcast day, there was a cold wind and it would play as a constant annoyance for everyone.  Cadets were given some time to explore the surrounding area but not wonder off too far.  They were also warned to stay away from the nearby river and to report any polar bear sightings. 

            

The first class was to construct the large 5-person winter tents, a good idea since the cold wind was beginning to pick up.  Once that was completed, the cadets were taught how to light a Coleman stove.  Around this time, the adult staff noticed that the wind was keeping the cadets inside the tents.  I and two officers headed back into town to fetch some firewood.  We brought back a truckload of discarded wood that was originally destined for the landfill.  Once we got a fire going, many cadets stood around it and warmed up.

            

The lunch IMPs took longer to prepare because one of the Coleman stoves decided to stop working.  When lunch was served, many chose to eat their meals in the arctic tents to get away from the wind.  I chose to eat mine in the supply truck where there was comfortable seating and because my feet were cold.  I knew I should have worn two pairs of socks. 

            

After lunch, it was becoming apparent that the cadets were not wearing enough layers of clothing.  Because of this, the cold wind was preventing them to concentrate.  The adult staff decided to fast track the training schedule and head back to the cadet hall.  Before we set off on the return hike, the cadets took down the tents, did several garbage sweeps over the area, loaded everything back onto the supply truck, and posed for unit photo.  Rather than go back the way we came, we walked a little further into the park and then turned left, trekking over rocky hills, and eventually ending back at the airport.  The walk back to the cadet hall took a little longer because there were plenty of mud puddles to avoid.     
   

            

Back at the cadet hall, the cadets were debriefed and instructed on how to dress better the next time they go into the field.  The cadets were given some time to relax as the dinner IMPs were prepared.  Once dinner had been eaten and the parade square was cleaned, they were allowed to play sports and watch a movie.  Overall, the FTX was a success even though there wasn't time to teach hand signals and map & compass.  That'll be for next time.   

            

On October 12, the students of Inuksuk High School were treated to a special presentation by the Canadian Football League (CFL).  The CFL is currently celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Grey Cup, a silver trophy commissioned by Governor General Albert Grey to be awarded to the best football team back in 1909.  To promote the celebration, the Grey Cup has been touring all over Canada and Iqaluit would be the furthest north it would travel.  Touring alongside the Cup was former wide receiver for the Toronto Argonauts Andre Talbot, who himself is a 2004 Grey Cup champion.  (In 2004, the 92nd Grey Cup match was held in my hometown of Ottawa, Ontario). 

            

The entire student body assembled in the main foyer to see the Grey Cup and hear Andre Talbot speak.  He explained what the Cup meant to him and how much it should mean to everyone in Canada.  He also answered many questions from students, explaining how he got drafted into the CFL, what he's doing now that he's retired, and how he remained focused on his studies & avoided drugs.  Students were also treated to a short video on the history of the Cup.  Even though I'm not that big into sports, I always watched the Grey Cup (and the American Super Bowl) with my father and older brother.  Despite hockey being the sport of choice in Nunavut, students and teachers were still thrilled to see the Grey Cup.

            

After the presentation, t-shirts and official CFL footballs were handed out by CFL representatives.  The Cup remained on display so that teachers and students could pose for pictures.  And Andre Talbot signed autographs.  I got a free t-shirt but didn't have the time to get a photo with the Cup; there was a long lineup.         

            

Moving on to municipal politics, John Graham, the former manager of the Iqaluit Airport, has been elected as mayor with an overwhelming majority.  He received 71 percent of the vote.  Graham was also a Captain in the military but had to retire in order to enter the mayoral race.  He worked at the air cadet squadron as the Administration Officer.  It's hard to believe that I was working alongside a future town mayor.

            

What's also good to hear is that voters have decided to let the town borrow up to $40 million to pay for the new aquatics centre.  However, many are beginning to think that that much money is not needed to build a new pool.  We'll see how it goes but I'm sure many are happy that things are moving forward.  The current pool at The Brown is closed until further notice because of large cracks in the concrete foundations.

            

With October already entering its final two weeks, the Halloween concert I'm planning at the end of the month is quickly approaching.  My musicians are working hard to get the music right and even though I'm starting to get the jitters, I'm sure everything will sound great.  There are still ten more days left for them to practice.     

Into October

For the last two weeks, things have been steadily moving along.  Hard to believe that it's already the month of October.  The teachers here have told me that once you get through September, it's smooth sailing until the end.  I do agree with the observation because I just recently noticed that it has been over a week since my last post.  Time for a recap.    

            

On Saturday, September 29, all of Canada was celebrating Sports Day, 'a national celebration of sport at all levels.'  The staff & cadets of 795 Iqaluit Air Squadron promoted the event by hosting a sports day of its own at the Cadet Hall.  A good twenty-eight cadets showed up to participate in a variety of sports activities.

            

For the first half, cadets were divided into 3 groups and engaged in a round robin of team games.  Several of these were: shooting hoops, bean bag toss, over & under with a ball, passing a volleyball in a circle, and trying to stand on a box as a group.  The most challenging activity was the two-by-four walk.  Four people had to stand on two wooden planks and walk around the parade square, moving their left & right feet at the same time.  Let's just say there was a lot of falling down moments.  

            

The second half of the sports day was devoted to activities that pitted teams against each other.  The first activity was a funny relay race where cadets had to run to the middle of the parade square, put on female pantyhose using oven mitts, and then quickly take them off and run back to tag the next person in line.  Yeah, don't ask.  Next came several rounds of volleyball & handball.  By the end of the day, everyone was tired from running around but it was a day well spent promoting physical fitness & health.  We ended the event with a group photo in front of the cadet hall.

            

The following Saturday (October 6), the cadets of 795 participated in a Power Familiarizing Flying Exercise.  In two separate groups, cadets were driven to the Iqaluit Airport where they strapped themselves into a small 18-seat turboprop and were given a free 25-miunte flight over Iqaluit and the surrounding area.  I tagged along with the second group to provide adult supervision and to take photos.  For safety, passengers were given complimentary ear plugs and air sickness bags. 

            

After arriving at the terminal, we were driven to the red & white turboprop by bus.  Once we all climbed aboard, the copilot gave us a quick safety briefing before he sat in the cockpit with the pilot.  I was glad that I swallowed some Gravol before we arrived because the copilot informed everyone that there would be moments in the flight where the plane would suddenly descend and ascend.  Seated next to a window right behind the cockpit, I watched in silence as the plane was brought to life and slowly taxied to the runway.  With my digital camera, I filmed the take off and the first five minutes of the flight.  Thereafter, I took still photographs and of course, enjoyed the ride. 

            

One specific location we flew over was the remote cabin the air squadron owns several kilometres to the south of Iqaluit.  The cabin is used for Field Training eXercises (FTXs) out on the land.  Due to the rough terrain, it takes several hours to get there on foot, ATV, and snowmobile.  The pilots flew the plane as low as 200 feet, flying between steep cliffs and skimming over water and the rocky terrain.  Judging from the all faces, the cadets really enjoyed the experience.  On the way back to the airport, we flew past a sea lift vessel that was anchored in the bay.  When the plane landed, the pilots received an applause from the passengers.  As well, everyone was relieved that no air sickness bags were used.  Lunch was provided at the Legion for cadets & staff.  As always, the prime roast was delicious.

            

My Grade 10 guitarists have formally been introduced to basic music theory, that is, learning how to read traditional music notation.  The standard notation method has been present since the beginning of the semester but more as background information.  (My students prefer reading guitar tablature).  However, since it's been there from the beginning, my students weren't combative when I formally introduced it.  My guitarists won't be participating in the upcoming Halloween concert but they will get their performing chance at the year-end Christmas concert.

            

On that note, the Halloween concert is a go and my juniors & senior musicians are doing their best to get the all the notes & rhythms right.  Next week, both groups will start practicing together during lunch time.  Even though the concert is still two weeks away, I hope the other scores I ordered arrive in time.

            

At this time, my Grade 11 English students have read more than half of the novella, Of Mice & Men by John Steinbeck.  At the beginning, most of my students were shy at reading out loud, but after some prodding and constant positive reinforcement, many have 'broken-out-of-their-shell(s)' and enjoy reading to the class.

            

With the arrival of October, I thought the snow would start falling almost immediately.  True, there was one day where snow fell for a short time, but since then, nothing.  That hasn't stopped the temperature from steadily dropping.  The lows are now slightly below zero and it'll only continue to drop from now on.  Because of this, people have been able to see their breaths for the last several days.  Snowfall is expected for Thursday & Friday, so maybe this time, the snow will stay rather than melt.

Getting The Job Done

Starting from the 17th of September, my Grade 10 guitarists had their first test on the drum set.  They were required to play 4 simple backbeat patterns.  Even though the course is supposed to be about guitar only, I decided to incorporate other instruments as well.  My students will learn a bit of percussion, bass guitar, electric guitar, and piano.  Usually, these instruments are present whenever there is a guitar, so why not?  They spent the remainder of the week working on chords in order to prepare for their chord test on the following Tuesday.  Most were prepared while several others required more practice time.  To finish off the month, my guitarists looked at several well known melody lines, such as, Sea Shanty and La Bamba.

            

In Grade 11 English, we continued with the poetry unit, looking at poems by E.E.Cummings, Edgar Allen Poe, and Robert W. Service.  E.E. Cummings, the famed 20th century American poet, was perhaps the only poet I ever enjoyed reading in high school because he broke most, if not all, the rules on writing poetry.  With Edgar Allen Poe, my students looked at his most popular poem, The Raven.  And of course, the chosen Robert W. Service poem was The Cremation of Sam McGee.  As a review of the first two units, my students had a short story/poetry quiz on the 18th.  For the following week, we looked at sentence structure and how to avoid writing padded, overloaded, and run-on sentences.  Next week, we'll be starting the novel unit, studying the classic novella, Of Mice and Men.         

            

I know it's early, but I decided to hand out several Christmas themed pieces to my senior & junior musicians for the upcoming Christmas concert in December.  Nothing wrong with getting a head start, right?  With the month of October just around the corner, I have also been thinking about putting on a Halloween concert on Wednesday, the 31st.  I have already found two pieces with scary undertones.  I'll be handing them out to my juniors and seniors on Monday.  I'll need to find more because two pieces are not enough for a concert.  All that's left is to speak with the principal about whether a concert can be arranged on that day.

            

Concert planning aside, my seniors have been looking at a variety of songs, ranging from Disney to TV themes.  My students have taken a liking to the Disney tunes, Under the Sea & I Just Can't Wait To Be King.  The TV theme they have chosen is the old Hockey Night In Canada theme song.  We can't learn the new theme because I don't have the score and we lack the required bagpipes.  For next week, my seniors will be looking at more theory, starting with minor scales, because we're running a bit behind.

            

My junior musicians have steadily improved in the last two weeks and are beginning to sound like a concert band.  There still is the random squeak here and there but that is to be expected.  We're all glad that we have passed the noise-making stage and are in the transitional period of going from sound to music.  In musical theory, they looked at dotted notes & rests, musical ties, and basic time signatures.  Next week, we'll be looking at more complicated time signatures and tones & semitones.

            

With all of the above happening in school, my time outside of school has been mostly spent on marking class work and recording marks.  This isn't a difficult task; just time consuming.  I know some teachers can do what I like to call 'speed-marking' but I haven't developed that skill yet.  I like to take my time and make sure that I'm marking everything correctly.

            

For the last two weeks, the delayed sealift vessels have arrived and been offloading large shipping containers onto barges that are then towed to the shoreline.  The towing can only happen during the high tides in the middle of the day.  I'm guessing one of those containers contained all the new furniture that arrived at the high school on Friday, September 21st.  As I was leaving the school to enjoy my weekend, I was surprised to see so many stacked boxes in the main foyer.  The boxes contained new tables, chairs, bookshelves, and desks, all of which were distributed to newly renovated classrooms and the library.    

            

On the evening of September 25th, the high school had its first 'Meet The Teacher Night'.  Wearing black dress pants & shoes, a silver collared shirt, piano tie, and a name tag, I stood with the other teachers in the cafeteria and chatted with parents.  I was expecting to meet the parents of all the students I taught but unfortunately, that did not happen.  Visiting parents & their children were treated to a well prepared reception of caribou stew (I had two servings), bannock, cookies, and juice.  Overall, I think the meetings with parents went quite well. 

            

The last week of September was Nunavut Literacy Week, an event organized by the Nunavut Literacy Council.  The event is designed to promote literacy and to encourage young people to read in Inuktitut, English, and French.  Three school wide activities took place on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.  Monday's activity was having students read for 15 minutes.  On Wednesday, chosen classes had to create posters that showcased what books students' read.  And the most creative activity took place on Friday, where classes were organized in groups of three and engaged in a round-robin of story writing.  My Grade 11 English class had to write a beginning, middle, and end to three different short stories.  Let's just say there were a few hilarious moments.  The activity reminded me of the game Mad Libs. 

            

On Thursday, September 27, the entire high school participated in a garbage cleanup of the school grounds and surrounding area.  My group was assigned an area across the Brown Building.  Armed with black garbage bags and blue plastic gloves, we picked up whatever we could find: pop cans, newspapers, cigarette cartons, chip bags, candy wrappers, and more.  We also found some interesting items, such as: a sweater, suitcase handle, and an iron bar.  When the cleanup was finished, we all headed back inside for hotdogs and juice.  I was glad to see students doing their part in keeping the town clean.

            

On the air cadet front, the squadron staff met the Commanding Officer of the Regional Cadet Support Unit (RSCU) from the Prairie Region.  Lieutenant-Colonel Rob W. Kamphius was touring Nunavut to see what the cadet scene up north looked like.  Due to the recent budget cuts by the federal Conservative Government, the Northern Region (Yukon, Northwest, & Nunavut) has been merged with the Prairie Region (Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, & Western Ontario).  The reactions are still a bit mixed because the Prairie Region is not like the North, but there are some benefits to the merger.  The most obvious is that Northern Cadets are now able to compete in Prairie competitions (band, drill, biathlon, sports, etc.), thus giving northern units more exposure and more units to compete with.

            

Moving on to local news, Iqaluit has still been experiencing a few power outages as city workers upgrade the town's power grid.  The good news is that the outages were planned and citizens were given advance notice.  It still would have been nice if the outages did not happen at all, but it's a necessary annoyance considering that the 40 year old power plant & power grid are in need of upgrades.

            

On October 15, Iqaluit residents will be heading to the polls to vote for a new mayor, and to decide whether the city should be allowed to borrow enough money to pay for the construction of a new aquatic centre next to city hall.  The current pool at The Brown Building has become too small for the needs of residents.  It can only hold 35 people and is prone to breakdowns.  The new aquatic centre is designed to accommodate up to 250 people in a 25 metre pool.  There will also be a leisure pool, water slide, fitness centre, larger change rooms, and an Elders Area.  For $40.6 million, I hope the town votes yes.

            

Lastly, the federal government recently announced a pledge of $77 million to improve the Iqaluit International Airport.  The money will partially cover the $250 - $300 million that is needed for the entire project.  The project calls for a new terminal building, expanded aprons, new lighting systems, and an upgraded runway.  Construction is to take place between 2014 & 2017. 

Life In The Fast Lane

I have to admit that for the last several days, I felt like a very important person.  The week of September 10 - 14 had been filled with high profile meetings, photo ops, welcome speeches, and presentations.  I'm surprised that I still had time to prepare classes and mark assignments.

        

The week started off with a guitar/songwriting workshop with Dave Gunning, a well known Canadian Folk/Celtic singer/songwriter from Nova Scotia.  Since 1997, he has released 9 albums, received two Canadian Folk Music Awards, and received a Juno Award nomination.  He is well known for incorporating storytelling in his music.  He had come to Iqaluit to perform his music at Nakasuk Middle School on September 8th.  I had wanted to go to the concert but I was ill that day. 

            

The workshop was organized by Heather Daley, the founder and current Executive Director of the Alianait Arts Festival.  She is the same lady with whom I collaborated in organizing a workshop with the Canadian folk group April Verch back in May.  Unfortunately, that workshop had to be cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances.

            

Due to Dave's tight schedule, he only had time to be with my senior students for the first half of the 90 minute period.  Heather was also there to observe and to take pictures.  My students sat in a semicircle around Dave as he played a few of his songs on his guitar.  He prefers tuning his guitar openly rather than relying on a tuner.  After each song, he talked about what songwriting involves: brainstorming, collaborating, chord progressions, and inspirations.  Unfortunately, he didn't have time to go in depth - something my students were hoping for - because he had a flight to catch back to Ottawa.  Overall, Dave is a very good singer and guitar player.  After the workshop, he spoke with the students and even posed for pictures.

            

Dave Gunning recently ran into some trouble with the Royal Canadian Mint (RCM) over the cover art of his upcoming album, No More Pennies.  Since the cover includes several of the soon-to-be retired 1-cent coins, the RCM claimed them as intellectual property and wanted Dave to pay a $1,200 royalty fee for every 2,000 CDs that would be produced and distributed.  However, thanks to a flood of media stories, the RCM came to its senses and decided to waiver the fee & "assess its current intellectual property policy." 

            

Tuesday evening was the first cadet training night at 795 Iqaluit Air Squadron.  The unit stands at 20 members but that number would increase thanks to 12 new recruits.  The commanding officer, Captain Chubbs, welcomed everyone back from the summer holidays and presented certificates to cadets who successfully completed their summer camp courses.  After the opening parade, the recruits were introduced to the training staff and given a tour of the cadet building.  Relying on the public speaking skills I acquired during my undergrad years, I quickly came up with an introductory speech, welcoming the recruits to the unit, assuring them that they made the right choice, and that I hoped to see them in the newly created band program.  For the time being, it'll still be percussion based.

            

Wednesday night was the highlight of the week because of the arrival of Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex, and his wife Sophie, Countess of Wessex.  The British couple were paying Iqaluit a royal two-day visit, the first royal visit in 10 years.  The air cadet squadron had been requested to provide an Honour Guard and I was lucky to be allowed to tag along.  I finally had an opportunity to wear my black suit.

            

We made our way to the RCMP hangar at the Iqaluit Airport where the greeting ceremony was to take place.  The hangar was already crawling with RCMP and plain clothes officers.   The plane was scheduled to arrive at around 2050 (8:50pm) giving us forty minutes to prepare.  As the minutes ticked by, more important people began to arrive: Nunavut Premier Eva Aariak, Commissioner Edna Elias, and RCMP Superintendant Steve McVarnock, just to name a few.  When the plane carrying the royal couple landed, everyone in the hangar took their places and stood at attention.  The officers and I stood to the right side of cadet display.

            

The main hangar doors were opened, filling the interior with cold air, and the sounds of the plane's engines.  The plane taxied as close to the hangar as possible, giving the royal couple the least amount of distance to walk in the rain.  Premier Aariak and Commissioner Elias were the first to greet the Prince and the Countess before escorting them down the line of visiting guests.  The Prince then took to the dias where he was saluted by the cadets on parade.  Thereafter, he and his wife inspected each cadet, officer, and civilian on parade.  The Countess received a small bouquet of Arctic Cotton from a senior cadet.  

            

I have to admit that I was a little nervous because this was the first time I have ever spoken to members of the British Royal Family.  I had been instructed that only the royal offers his/her hand to be shaken.  Captain Chubbs introduced me as the civilian band officer of the air cadet unit and Prince Edward wanted me to explain the music program.  I relaxed when I realized that speaking to royalty was a lot easier than I thought.  When I spoke with the Countess, I added that I was also a music teacher at Inuksuk High School.    

            

After the parade, the Prince & the Countess mingled with the cadets and posed for photographs.  Due to their tight schedule, they only had 20 minutes, but by my calculations, they stayed for about thirty.  After the royal couple had left, I briefly chatted with Commissioner Elias.   Although the visit was brief, I think the cadets would agree that it was a fun and exciting experience.  The Earl & Countess would spend the remainder of their visit touring Nunatta Sunakkutaangiit Museum & the newly rebuilt St. Jude's Cathedral, attending an RCMP awards ceremony at the Legislative Assembly, and attend a communal feast at St. Jude's Parish Hall.     

            

The week finished with the taking of student & class photos.  A section of the school's cafeteria had been transformed into a photo studio.  Between Thursday & Friday, classes were called down one at a time.  For my class photo, I instructed my students to bring their instruments with them.  Band students do photos with style!  I was glad that the photographer took several pictures because I'm a notorious blinker when it comes to the use of flash.  At the moment, I can only hope that I didn't ruin the class and staff pictures.        

            

The weather has been getting colder with every passing day, bringing strong winds, rain, and fog.  Many of Iqaluit's unpaved roads turn into long stretches of mud and brown puddles.  To clean up the mess, the town uses snowplows to 'pave' over the puddles.  The cold weather has also been affecting the health of the community with many people catching the common cold.    

            

And for the first time in Nunavut's history, the residents of Iqaluit will be required to wear seatbelts when operating a vehicle.  In the past, wearing seatbelts was entirely optional.  The only explanation I heard of was that it was difficult to put on a seatbelt while wearing a large winter parka.  I guess drivers will now have to find a way to buckle up unless they want to risk getting a ticket.  So far, RCMP officers have only given out warnings, but it's a safe bet they'll be issuing tickets in the coming days.